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Cream-coloured Courser Cursorius cursor ©Nigel Blake http://www.nigelblake.co.uk/

Tunisia, officially the Tunisian Republic, is a country located in North Africa. It is bordered by Algeria to the west and Libya to the southeast. It is the northernmost country on the African continent, and the smallest of the nations situated along the Atlas mountain range. Around forty percent of the country is composed of the Sahara desert, with much of the remainder consisting of particularly fertile soil and a 1300 km coastline. Both played a prominent role in ancient times, first with the famous Phoenician city of Carthage, then as the Africa Province which became known as the bread basket of the Roman Empire, and then as the Maghreb region of various medieval Islamic states.

Tunisia ranks high among Arab and African nations in reports released by The World Economic Forum. In the 2008-2009 version, it is first in Africa and 36th globally for economic competitiveness, well ahead of Portugal, Italy and Greece. It currently lies at the penultimate stage of development: efficiency-driven economies.

Tunisia is a country situated on the Mediterranean coast of North Africa, midway between the Atlantic Ocean and the Nile Valley. It is bordered by Algeria in the west and Libya in the south-east. An abrupt southern turn of its shoreline gives Tunisia two faces on the Mediterranean.

Despite its relatively small size, Tunisia has great geographical and climactic diversity. The Dorsal, an extension of the Atlas Mountains, traverses Tunisia in a northeasterly direction from the Algerian border in the west to the Cape Bon peninsula. North of the Dorsal is the Tell, a region characterized by low, rolling hills and plains, although in the northwestern corner of Tunisia, the land reaches elevations of 1,050 meters. The Sahil is a plain along Tunisia's eastern Mediterranean coast famous for its olive monoculture. Inland from the Sahil, between the Dorsal and a range of hills south of Gafsa, are the Steppes. Much of the southern region is semi-arid and desert.

There is an International Migration Camp each year iat Cap Bon - It is organised by Association Les Amis des Oiseaux - it is be usually held at El Haouaria early May - full details available from MILADI Issam who is responsible for the International Migration Camp by post to Association les Amis des Oiseaux Cap-Bon, Avenue Habib BOURGUIBA 8045 El HAOUARIA Tel/Fax : 00216 72- 269200 E-mail: aao.capbon@gnet.tn